Amidst the lush branches and dense forest, a young man in green was riding a horse, frequently turning his head to look back, his face filled with anxiety. However, the horse clearly wasn’t listening to its rider, leisurely strolling along, occasionally lowering its head to nibble on grass and flowers, looking extremely relaxed.
Xie Jinning was worried that Wang Zhihe would return early and catch up with him, so he tightly gripped the reins, shaking them several times. “Giddy up, giddy up! Hey, stop eating, I haven’t even had my meal yet. Hurry up and run, giddy up!”
Xie Jinning used to complain that riding made his thighs sore, so he skipped horse riding classes after attending just once or twice, leaving his riding skills nearly non-existent. Usually, when going out, he either took a carriage or rode with someone else. It was sheer luck that he managed to get on a horse today, and now he was racking his brain to recall what was taught in those classes.
His clothes fluttered slightly in the wind, the belt outlining his slender waist, slightly sagging, with the back hem forming a full, round green bundle as he sat. His long, straight legs dangled on either side, and he squeezed hard, causing the brown horse to snort awake, its tail brushing against Xie Jinning’s rear, startling him into thinking someone was behind him, almost making him cry out.
“Come on, come on, if you start running, I’ll buy you the best grass and let you stay in the most luxurious stable when we reach our destination, okay?” Xie Jinning glanced back again, nervously muttering to himself.
Fortunately, the brown horse seemed to understand this time, graciously picking up its pace. But it was only slightly faster than walking, still painfully slow. “Yes, just like that, a bit faster!” Xie Jinning was getting anxious, wiping sweat with his sleeve.
His palms were red and hot from the rough reins, and the saddle was too hard, making him uncomfortable. He shifted his hips to adjust his sitting position, but no matter how he sat, it was uncomfortable. His cheeks puffed up as he quietly complained, “What kind of saddle is this, so poor in quality, it’s too abrasive…”
Luckily, under his persistent verbal persuasion, the brown horse moved faster and faster. A victorious smile crept onto his lips, and Xie Jinning raised an eyebrow, feeling like a genius for being able to ride well without much learning.
But his pride lasted only a few moments before a long whistle sounded from afar. Instantly, the brown horse, which had just started running, came to a sudden stop. Caught off guard, Xie Jinning lurched forward, his entire upper body pitching forward. He clung tightly to the horse’s neck, narrowly avoiding being thrown off.
His face was buried in the long, dense mane, the strong smell making him dizzy and nauseous, unaware that the horse had changed direction. Wang Zhihe, with a blade of grass in his mouth, leaned lazily against a tree trunk, his face dark as he watched the boy return, panting on the horse’s back. He said coldly, “You sure know how to take advantage of opportunities.”
Fortunately, this horse had been with him for years, not easily controlled by others, and understood commands. Otherwise, someone might have really run away. With the violent jolting and the strange smell, Xie Jinning felt so nauseous that his face turned pale, his ears buzzing as if a thousand flies were circling.
He didn’t hear anything clearly, his grip loosening, and he fell straight off the horse, nearly landing headfirst, but Wang Zhihe caught his arm and pulled him up. “You sent me away so you could escape, huh? And you even took food with you. What, now you don’t find it dry and don’t want to eat it?”
Now Xie Jinning understood, the grip on his arm was strong, causing him pain, and his stomach was churning. He covered his mouth, glaring at Wang Zhihe with tearful eyes, his small face pale and eyes red, looking pitiful.
But Wang Zhihe dared not soften his heart now. He understood that this young master was the type to take advantage of kindness. If you treated him harshly, he’d pretend to be obedient and pitiful. If you treated him well, he’d take advantage of you. Just like a wild cat that couldn’t be tamed.
After a while, when Xie Jinning steadied himself, Wang Zhihe released his grip and said, “You don’t even know the way and still run around blindly. Do you know there are several bandit dens nearby? A delicate young master like you, if caught, they’d skin you and chop off your limbs for snacks!”
Xie Jinning’s pupils shrank. Already feeling unwell, Wang Zhihe’s words scared him, and images of blood splattering three feet high flashed in his mind, making him vomit. “Ugh—”
He hadn’t eaten well for days, so he only vomited a bit of clear water and stomach acid. Wang Zhihe withdrew his outstretched hand and said coldly, “Still want to run?”
“No… no more running.” Xie Jinning was completely out of strength, obediently following Wang Zhihe onto the carriage. But was he someone who would give up so easily?
In the afternoon, passing through a small town, while Wang Zhihe was buying him pastries, he tried to run again, almost succeeding, but was stopped by thugs in the street, demanding money to let him go. He had no money, as his jade pendant and belongings had been taken by Wang Zhihe to prevent him from running again.
The thugs, seeing his luxurious attire and noble demeanor without a guard, assumed he was a runaway rich kid, but didn’t expect he couldn’t produce a single coin. Unwilling to give up, they nearly dragged him into an alley to strip him, but Wang Zhihe arrived in time to drive them away.
Though shaken, Xie Jinning hadn’t given up on escaping, trying several more times with new tricks each time. Wang Zhihe, exhausted by his antics, finally resorted to adding some prepared sleeping powder to his water pouch. He didn’t add much, just enough to make someone feel weak, far from unconsciousness. But Xie Jinning was sensitive to the drug, and after a few sips, he slumped over, falling into a deep sleep.
Wang Zhihe carefully carried him into the carriage, covering him with a thin blanket bought from the village, and stuffed some items around to prevent bumps. He gave Xie Jinning a deep look, carefully folded the used handkerchief, and placed it in his pocket, silently speeding up the carriage.
Under the influence of the drug, Xie Jinning was drowsy all day. Forget running, he didn’t even have the energy to dislike Wang Zhihe. Occasionally woken up to eat a bit while leaning against him, or to take care of basic needs, he’d soon fall back into slumber.
The carriage ride was smooth, but his dreams were fragmented, sometimes good, sometimes bad. He dreamt of his past arrogance in the Capital City, the happy times at the Xie Family, and the scene of him causing a ruckus at the Ancestral Hall, facing off against the three from the Xie Residence.
Dreams intertwined with reality, countless fragments of memory swirling in his mind, leaving him restless. In his daze, he regretted, wondering if things would have been different if he hadn’t been so impulsive that day. If he had been more magnanimous, not so determined to deal with Xie Zhu and drive him out of the Xie Residence, could he have continued living a carefree life, blissfully unaware of the truth?
He even maliciously thought, if Xie Zhu hadn’t appeared, he could have remained his parents’ child forever, the joy of his elder brother. But alas… there were no “ifs” anymore, and he couldn’t go back.